Circular-knitting machine.



lo. 805,812. PATBNTBD NOV. 28, 1905. I. B. WILDMAN. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

, run-no! nun AUG. 1, 1m.

4 luv-" uann g,

lllllllhl nnww wan,

I0. 806,812. PATBNTED NOV. 28, 1905.

P. B. WILDMAN.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

AMI-IDAHO! nu no. a. 1m.

4 lIlITl-IIBBT I.

r Fl No. 805,612. PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

F. B. WILDMAN. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

AH'HOL'I'IOI TILED MIG. 3.1904,.

4 lllITl-JIIII' 4.

' j Irzverafor To all whom I! may mnorm:

UNITED sTA'rns FRANK ll. WILDMAN. i"

Nonms'rowm renvsvnvasu.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

Appilaatlsaliel lagest 3.

lie it known that 1. Paula B. Winona. a citizen of the United States, residing at Notriatown. Pennsylvania. have invented certain new and tlm'lttl Improvements in Circular- Knitting Machines. of which the following is a sgaaeitiention.

It is the object of my invention to provide a oirenlar-rih-knitting machine in which the relation between the. two sets of needles may he autmnnticnlly changed for the purpose of producing ditlerentetl'ects in the fabric.

in carrying out my invention [em loy a cylinder and dial. and in order to get :ii erent relative arrangements as between the cylinder and dial noedleammtns are provided whereby the dial may he automatically shifted cireinnh'rentiaily. so that the needles of the dial and cylinder are changed from a one-andone to n two-and-two relation. or the reverse that is. from an arrangement in which the needles of the dial and cylinder alternate singly with each oth r to one in which pairs of the dial-needles alternate with pairs of the eyiimler-needles. the former arrangement producing in the fabric rihs alternating singly orone and one end the latter producing rihs alternating in pair In producing a stocking with a welt at the to, i provide means for alterlng the-relation the lortnatieuol the welt. while the loops ill" held on the dial and cylinder. needles in oneing certain changes are tuiti'le'iatlnknitting for instance. to provide a series of long loops 1 7 changes in the character of the knitting.

The invention mnsists in the features and unnhinnt ion and arrangomentof parts hereinafter described. and partieidarly pointed out in the claims.

in the mmipenying drawings. Figure l is a front view of a knitting-machine elnbodying my invention. Fig. it is a view in the nature of a diagram. showing a iortlon of the dial and cylinder with the need ea of these beds arranged in one-and-one relation---v1 e.. with the needles of the dial alternating singly in position with those of the cylinder. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2. but with the needleheda altered in position. so as to make the ietween the needlna for Mention Letters latent.

mos tease, tee mo. lsrial Isstam.

needles of the dial stand in with pairs of the cylinder-needles. a vertical sectional view of the invention with ring with parts associated therewith. Fig. 7

of the cylinder-cams intended to cause stitches tobe dropped from the cylimler-needles. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the dial-cap showing the dial-cams. Fig. 9 is a detail view of the ring for shifting the dial. and Fig. 10 is a plan view of the ring of Fig. it.

in the drawings. i is the cylinder. andQthe dial of substantially ordinary construction. The camring 8 o! the cylinder is rotated through a gear 4. and the dial-esp 5. ran?- ing the cams for the dial-needles. is rotated in the ordinary manner by connections with the l cylinder-cam ring. inel-nlingthe vertical posts i 6 and l the shait 8. with its name. The cylt and is suptmrted upon the hue ring (in! the machine. and the dial is sup which earrioa the naid'dial nder is stationary- Oil l the shaft it by means oi the roller 10 and is held stationary onngainst rotation by a lug it. Projecting from its side in a manner hereina ter doscril d. Figs. .2 and 3, illustrate the two positions of the dial and cylinder which the present 3 embodiment of my invention is es is of making them assume. From time gurus it will he seen that the needle-a of eltherthsdlai or cylindera are unequally spaced a part. or. in other words. they are urea in pairs. in Fig. 2 the dial and cylinder are in knit one-and-one--i. 0.. with the needles of the dial alternating those of the cylinder. New by shifting the dial in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2

the two needle-heds will assume the position shown in Fig. 8. in which the needles of the cylinder and dial alternate in pairsin relative ition. a pair of needles of one row standlii: opposite the space between paint or seedles of the other row. This latter arrangement will give a two-aud-twe arrangement of the ribs in the knitted fabric. in ordertosccure this change in therelation between the needle-beds. means are'provided for shifting the dial, with its needles, circumierentially in one direction tochauge from ono-nnd-one knitor platev the sition assumed by them when it in desircd id parts in elevation. the view being taken from 6c is a side view of the means for controlling one 5 the eross piecr 7. suitably connected to -csp singly in position withv 'ahaft 1 supported in bracket l9..eaid

a ofpatte tingto two-and-two and in the other direction to change from two-and-two to one-and-one knitting. This means comprises 'a ring lit.

within the cylinder and supported on the of the machine where it is adapted to be turned circnmferentially. The ring has a notch it in its under edge engaged by a lever 14. mad at it to a bracket 15. secured to the of the machine. This leverie rated from an arm 11. pissed on a bracket bei secured to e baee-ring of the machine. is shaft has pinned thereon an arm 90. carrying a roller 91. hearing on the blocks or rn-pieccs of a pattern-wheel 81", which fixed on a shaft 22. journaled in the frame and operated from any suitable form rn mechanism. The ring iii has a tinger 28 extendinr up therefrom. which lies on one aide of the n 11,'and aleverM. pivoted at! to the ring, as one arm 94* extending up on the other side of the said lug. This lever 94 has its horizontal arm borne upon by a screw estendin through the rie and by this screw the pee tion of the lever n relation to the lug It may be changed to suit different gages of fabric. it being understood that in this aeaof nmchinea the fabricpaaaes down between the In 11 and the part or log which coacte therew th to hold the dial in Contact between the lever 14 and the er I! is obtained by aacrew 26 passing through tii lever 14 and bearing upon the lever 17. By this arrangement accuracy may be obtained in the action of these parts, and the screw may be set in any desired position b the lock-nut 27. A atop-screw 28 passes rough a rart of the bracket 16. and this may be locked ii any poaltion to which it may be noted by the nut 29.

believer the dial is adjusted circumferentially in relation to the cylinder, it is necesaary to retract the needle cams of the dial, so that the needles may bedrawn in to their full 5 extent for the purpose of allowing the shifting action to take place without conflict between the dial and cylinder needles. in addition to this certain other adjuatmenta of the knitting devices must beelected. and for this the wheel 21 carries another act of pattern bloc or pieces in addition to the not mentioned above.. This set (indicated rally at 80) note upon the roller 81 of a ver 89. pivoted to the machine-frame at 88 and having a broadened end 84 for operating vertically a-stem 85, carrying on its upper '--'machine 6'" to rieeefor operating HN FN o endadiak86.w ia atedtooperate arms in various ice tions about the w th the knitting dee same. dial-cams inwardly in order-to retract all the dial-needles reparato the operation of ehiftin the 'al with needles in relation to the cy inder and its needles a link 81 is used, havinga pin 88 exacacia tending throu h a slot 89 in the dial-cap and connectingwit the wing-cam 40. Fig. 8, of the'dial-needles. said wing-cam being pivoted at 41 and having connected with it an outer cam-section 42 by means of a link 43. so that the outer section will move in unison with the wing-cam and maintain at all times the campath for the needles of the same shape and width to exert a perfect control over said neadlee. The link referred to connects with an arm'44 at to ad ustably. said arm being on a shaft 46, journal in the rotary cam-ring and having rigidly connected therewith an arm 47. prfl'ccting into the path of the disk at when an dblt iead'ueted into the horizontal plane of the arm. hen the arm 47 is struck by the disk in the revolution of the machine. the dial-cam will be shifted inwardly. and thedialneedles will then all be retracted. so that the shifting of the dial circumferontially may take place without causing the needles of one set to en those-of the other set Thearm 48 on the aft 46 is for returning the conmotions and the dial-cam to their former positlon when the disk 86 is lowered into the horizontal plane of this arm. This arm is on a shaft which is geared. as indicated at 49, to the shaft 46, this connection and the general action of these parts being well known in the art. e

Mechanism is also provided for forming looae courses in the fabric, this being generally of known construction and consisting. of the post 60. connected with the cam 51 and adapted to be depressed by a screw or pin on an arm 52. which arm is on a shaft 53. journaled in the rotary casing or cam-cylinder, said shaft havi an arm 54 fixed thereon to be operated by t e disk 86 and a second arm 55 on a shaft 56. journaled in said casing and geared to the shaft 53. Thesearms move the arm 52 in and out, according to which one of them is operated by the disk 86.

At a certain point in the knitting between where one garment is finished and another one started it is the function of the machine to knit several courses of long loo on the dialnoedles to make a clear line 0 division between the two garments for the purpose of raveling out and separating the garments. The means for accomplishing this consists partly of the cam 57 of the cvlinder-necdles connected witha t58,cxtendin upthreugh the cam-ring an having a latera y-arran roller 60 .at its upper end, said post being its lite

lifted at certain times by an arm 6i, having .5 eatedadjaeenttlm throed-guidtnituinonlinary i naetllee to such a height that the threads there- :wt beyond their latches. no that when the le retract: immediately thereafter without taking thread under action of cam 67 the long loop lengtha measured by these needles aeroee the stems of the dial-needles nre cast 03. leaving long dial-loops in the fabric for raveiing and aeparating the gnrmenta.

in the operation of the machine we will suppoee the needles are arranged two and two, as in Fig. 8. and when shifting or rat-king of the dial is to he performed to change the arrangement of the needles to one and one (whe or to continue knitting one and one or to form the welt) the first action which takes place is the raising of thedisk 36 to its highl practice. The needle-t of 'the cylinder whichi take the thread from the thrend-guido-aert'o to int-return off long lengths of thread across the dial-needles fur the course or courses to he rnveled out. Several of these long loop courmt are now knit on the dial-needles. the stripping-cam b? in its action following the cylinder atitclpeam and dropping the thread from the cylinder-newline. When patternhlock r' strikes the roller ill of the disk-lever. -aid dink 36 is raised into line with lever 64 of the can: 57 of the cylinder. thus lowering the said ctun so that the c,\'lintler-noedlns after i receiving the thread will hold it. and thus I begin to knit again in conjunction with tht; dial-needles; hut as the relation hut-worn th cat position. to he in line with the upper unoi dial and cylinder has been changed t'lt't'tllll- 47 of the pair of levers 47 48 for o mrnting' the dial-cam, no that. the dial-team wi l he opornted inwardly and the dial-newline will he retracted throu hout the whole circuit of the machine. in ort cr that the racking may take place without interference on the part of tho needles which would otherwise occur by the projected dial-needles atriking the cylindertneedlea. 'l'hin elevation ofthcdiak 36 takes place by the roller 31 on lever 32 being lifted )y the block a on the pattern-wheel. After the dial-cam is shifted inwardly and the dialneedles are all retraeted'the dial is "ranked" or shifted nircnmferentinlly by the roller 21 on the lever 24) being lifted by th patternhloclt naid lever acting through the com nectionu l4 I) 23. dcflcriln-d, to nhift the dial. no that its needles will ttlttrttntn singly with the cylinder-tumours. giving them it one'nndone lrrlngentnnt. the cylinder-needles with Lllt' needles in this position. The roller of the disk-lever 32 now falls to block c. which hringn the dink 36 into line with the lower lever 48 of the dial-emu,

no that the dial-cunt in restored to operative position. and the tlil l-hfl tilt'h hogin knitting again. The next action doaired is the knitting of long loop on thedinl-tn-tullm fhr st-parating the gartnenta by raw-ling out those long loopa and for thin action the stitches are dropped from the cylinder-nemllnmnnl tln-M: needleu then ram iiy tneaaure off the long loop lengtha on the t ill-needle for "W fortmttiou of the long dill-loom on th dial-noodle. For thil effect of dropping the stlftfltt'fi from the cylinder-mull" the roller ill of dish-lever 82 next dropa to block 1/. which lowers didt 36 into line with lever 6!. which lt'tt'r win-n moved inward rah-ten the cunt n? of the rylindor, nothat the ntitches will hadroppnd f ruin the cylltxler-needloit became thew tnw lhw Illt' rained no high that the Ntilt'ltmt get lit-low their latches, and when the needle retracts under I u 67 the rdjltll is dropped. tm

Qtion of thread in talton In this not-din retracts. The can: 57 is a special nun and in independent of the stitch-cam of the (,tlitnlnf, which ht l fcrentially. as nhovo tlcncriht-d, the knitting or the order of the loops on the dial and nylintlcr-ltemllnn will now he flltt'ltfltl one. This knitting hv hoth Ht'ttt of needl itntnmllatrlt' prccotlt'n the knitting of the well. on tho 1 both sets of needles jointly. and then the part. tllt'. act for forming the wt ltnwt'ollows: Win-n lilmzkfstriken the rollortll of t-l|ctli.-tlt-lt'\'ot'. the disk 36 will he. raised again into line with the upper lever 47. controlling the dial-cunt. and the dial-cant will again he nhit'u-d inwardltuso that all the dial-noodles will he rotractt-d to knit the welt on the cylinder-nootllt'fl. and aim in order that. the dial may he ruched or nhoggnd ril't-tttnfcrrnt inlly tochnnge tho rohttion lwtwi-en the dial and cyl nder TN'Wllt. and the mttorn-wln-cl continuing to rotate hriug the point from under thiroller .21 of the ranking t.'til|lttt!li0ll li' ii l2. allowl ing a apring H to rotat tin.- ring I'Aand thus Inhift the, dial in relation to the tfylllltitll'. From the time the dinl-nomllea were thrown l out of operation by the inclined edge of the 2 Mock jnntil the point If is reached by the rollnrot' the disk-lover Ill, the nnn'hine is j hnitting \vi-lt tftlltl'h atill the cylinder-needles. the arrangement of the needles remaining one i and one. the dinl-nm-dlo.-4, however. remainmg inactive all this time. The next change in the rnrkingot' thedinl lntck to the twwandtworelation, which takes plan-n when the roller 2i dropn oil of point The machiner-nntinum knitting the wait until tho roller 31 of the disk-lever dropn off of point I: and shifts the disk tlti. so its to rnnsn the dial-nee: tllttn to he again thrown into operation to knit tlnril t'nhrio two and two. 'lhin two-tuttii two relation is now maintained until the cuff at the top of tho stocking-lug ie' notnplt-tml, an tin-n tlnthrowing iuwanily of all tin-dialllt't' ii and the rocking take. phtmwhen the disk-roller Iii and the roller .51 arrive. respectively. at the points k and m. The knitting now changes to one and one and t'otttitttlcst uptil poiuta n and arrive at the di k-roller tit and tin, roller 2!. ros n-"lively. n'lu-tt the \WU-ttlttl'ltfpuallltlll will htrontnned.

iud r-needles. Only one course in knit hy- Brie stated, the actions through which the mac inc goes, as above described. are as follows: Surting with the needle-beds having their needlea in two-and-two relation operate the dial-cam inwardly to withdraw neiallca. Rack the dial circnmfcrentially, so that the needles of thedial and cylinder are in one-andone order. Knit a course with the parts in thia,relation. Restore knitting on the dialnecdlea in conjunction with the knitting on the cylinder-needles. Drop stitches from the cylinder-needles and knit several courses of long loopa on the dial-needles. Restore cylinder-knitting in conjunction with dial-knitting. Retraet all dial-needles to permit the cylinder-audios to knit the welt. Rack back to'the two'and-two relation of the needles and continue knitting the welt. Then throw the dial-needles into operation, and thus complete the 'aelvago-welt. It is immaterial just at what period in the formation of the welt the ranking back takes ilace to the two-and-two relation of the need es. as the welt will continue to be knit on the cylinder needles whether the relation be one and one'or two and two. its theloope will be held on the needles in one-and-oue relation though the noodles may actually be in two-and-two position.

The mechanism herein i'lcscribcd can be aplied to a regular 0 ne-und-onc arrangement,

caving the two-nnd'two feature out entirely and having a cylinder and dial cut regular that at. all needles equal distance! apart and racking tho dial-needle from its position between one pair of cylinder-needles to the conlral position of the next pair of cylindernoodles, thus producing a salvage-welt in the same manner as it is produced on a two-nndtwo fabric--and. further. the mechanism can be used for prodncinga zigzag or fancy rib by racking forward and backward step by step at every second or third revolution of the machine the distance of two or more needles, For example, the dial-noodles are thrown in,

the dial racked forward, and the next revolutlon thedial-needlea thrown out, the next rcvo lotion the dial-needles thrown in and racked forward, this operation being repeated two or more times, and then racked back a needle ate time until the normal position or startingpoint is reached.

I claim at my invention- 1. In combination, in a circular-knitting machine, a dial and cylinder with the needles and needle-came, means for retracting tho needle-cam of the dial. means for automaticallli changing the relation between the dial a cylinder rom a two-and-two order of the necdlea to a one-and-one order, means for reatoring the needle-cam of the dial to knitting :otition, meana for causing the cylinder-nee lea to drop the thread and to aid the dialneedlee in the formation of long loops, means for canning the reaumption of knitting on tho oylinder-needleqand the retraction and throweoe,eia

l ing out of action of the dial-needles and the 1 knitting of the welt on the cylinder-needles, 1 means for shifting the dial hack to the twoand-two relation of the noodles, and means for bringing the dial-noodles into action to recnme rib-knitting in two-and-two order, substantially as dcscrilaal.

2. ln'comhination. in a circular-knitting machine. a dial and cylinder with the needlecams, means extending within the cylinder from below for engaging a part of the dial for turning the same circumiercntially, and automntically-oporating means for moving the said means comristing of pattern mechanism, 5 substantially as descri'l'nxl.

3. in combination in a circular-knitting machine. a cylinder and dial. pattern mechanism and a ring having a portion extending withinthc cylinder and engaging a part of f the dial for turning the same, substantially i doscribud.

4. In combination in a circular-knitting machine. a cylinder and dial, a ring within the cylinder having engagement with a pnrtof the dial, and pattern mechanism for turning the ring. substantially an, iii-scribed.

5.- ln cmnbinution with adial, a cylinder, a ring within the cylindrr having engagement with a portion of the dial, a lover engaging the ring and pattern mechanism for operating the lever, snbntantially asdes-crilaed. v

i. In combination with a dial and cylinder, a ring adjustableciroaml'arcntially and bari ing; an arm. and an adjustnblc lever for engaging" a part of thcdial, and nwana for turni ing the ring automatically for changing the i position of the dial, substantially as described.

7. In combination, the dial and cylindcna ring within the cylinder having engagement with a part of the dial, a lever for operating tlnring, an arm for operating the lover, a rock-draft carrying the said arm. a patternwbeel and an arm on the rock-shaft operated by tho said pattern-wheel. substantially as described.

8.1:: combination in a circular-knitting machim ,ndial. acylindor, needle-cams, mean for adjusting the said noodle-ram, consisting of a vertically-mornblc disk, a vertical shaft having arma to ho operated tln'arcby and a link connection from the shaft to the dial nrodlc- I automatically controlling the said cam, snh

sou: l B

therefor, 1 lug on the dial, a petwrn-wiieel, a rock-theft operat/od by the Said pntternwlimrl, 0 connection extending from the said rockehnf! within the needle-cylinder to engage the 5 lug bu the dial, :1 V\ll'll(liiiLY-lilllligilll slmft l in operate the same to throw OI lbe'ltitebel of I" the needles of thu row meal for entomailally controlling the aid can end mane 1s furnummniicnlly changing the I'eletion cirmnnlemntially beiwoen the cylinder end dlel,

gonnnctod with ill-2 dial-clam and mmns adsnlmuintinily described.

jusuible vertically and controlled by the pettern-wheel for turning the said vertical shaft: .eulieuntlelly en describem w 11. In combination in e circulawknitting nnchlne. a dial a cylinder, the knitting-cams,

e am for one circular row of needles adapted In testimony whereof Iefll: my ligature in nreaenco of two willie.-

FRANK B. WILDMAN. .m: 0

he LAND", Avoim Fami- 

